 Name : Arnav Saxena

 Class : 10-D
 Roll No. : 7
 Subject : Biology
 School : Army Public Scholl
Natural Resources
 Introduction
 Natural resources are materials from the Earth that are used to support life and
meet people’s needs.
 Any natural substance that humans use can be considered a natural resource. Oil,
coal, natural gas, metals, stone and sand are natural resources. Other natural
resources are air, sunlight, soil and water. Animals, birds, fish and plants are
natural resources as well.
 Natural resources are used to make food, fuel and raw materials for the
production of goods. All of the food that people eat comes from plants or
animals. Natural resources such as coal, natural gas and oil provide heat, light
and power.
 Natural resources also are the raw materials for making products that we use
everyday from our toothbrush and lunch box to our clothes, cars, televisions,
computers and refrigerators.
 Value of natural resources by country (in USD trillions), 2021

Country Value

Russia 79

United States 45

Saudi Arabia 34.4

Canada 33.2

Democratic Republic of C 24
ongo
China 23

Brazil 21.8

Australia 19.9

Venezuela 14.3

India 0.10
 Types Of Resources
 There are two types of Resources Renewable and Non-Renewable.

 RENEWABLE RESOURCES
 Renewable resources are those natural resources such as trees,
water, sun and wind that can be replenished at about the same rate
at which they are used. Renewable resources, however, can be
depleted if not properly managed or conserved.
 NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES
 Nonrenewable resources are those natural resources that are
depleted more quickly than they can regenerate. Fossil fuels like oil
and natural gas were formed over millions of years. Once mined and
used completely, nonrenewable resources are gone forever.
Renewable resource Non-renewable resource

It can be renewed as it is available in Once completely consumed, it cannot be

infinite quantity renewed due to limited stock

Sustainable in nature Exhaustible in nature

Low cost and environment-friendly High cost and less environment-friendly

Replenish slowly or do not replenish

Replenish quickly
naturally at all
 Using Natural Resources
 Extracting, processing and using natural resources can cause environmental problems
such as: air, land and water pollution; disruption or destruction of ecosystems; and a
decrease in biodiversity.
 For example, carbon dioxide – which is produced from burning coal, oil and natural
gas (fossil fuels) – is a critical greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases absorb and retain
heat from the sun. Examples of greenhouse gases include methane, ammonia, sulfur
dioxide and certain chlorinated hydrocarbons.
 Many scientists believe that the build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can
cause global climate change (change in the average global temperature of the
atmosphere near the Earth’s surface).
 Over time,this condition could pose dangers around the world such as flooding,
drought and disease. Extracting and using natural resources also can disturb
relationships within ecosystems. What are ecosystems? Ecosystems, which include
ponds, wood lots and fields, are self-regulating communities of plants and animals
that interact with each other and their non-living environment. For example, trees
cleared from a field can destroy habitats used by many animals, forcing them to find
homes elsewhere.
 If these animals leave the ecosystem, further disturbances can occur within plant and
animal populations that depend on these species.
 Extracting and using natural resources – along with other human activities – may
decrease biodiversity – that is the variety of organisms that live on the Earth.
Diminishing the Earth’s biodiversity has a substantial human cost because wild species
and natural ecosystems are important resources. Some economists, for example,
estimate that the lost pharmaceutical value from plant species extinctions in the
United States is about $12 billion.
 Many people fear that humans are destroying the world’s natural resources. Clearing
land for farming and building wipes out forests and the animals that live there. Cars
and factories use huge amounts of oil every day. They also release poisonous chemicals
that pollute the air, water, and soil. Many people are working to conserve , or
protect, natural resources. In addition, scientists are working on ways to produce
energy and goods without causing pollution or using up valuable natural resources.
 There are several problems that are attached to the natural resources. Let us take a
look at them.
 The irrational consumption and overuse of these natural resources has led to several
socio-economic and environmental problems.
 Natural resources are available in a fixed quantity and are non-renewable.
 There is an increasing scarcity of these natural resources as the population is
increasing day by day.
 Non-renewable natural resources take millions of years to form.
Natural Resources In South Carolina
 Forests – a renewable resource – cover almost two-thirds of South Carolina’s land
area and are used to produce lumber and pulpwood for paper production. The state
has large deposits of kaolin (a type of clay) as well as peat, sand, limestone and
gravel.
 Granite is mined throughout the state for crushed stone used in construction or
dimension stone used in monuments – including the World War II Memorial in
Washington, D.C. South Carolina is the nation’s leading producer of vermiculite,
which is used for insulation and as a medium for planting.
 In addition, there is a limited amount of gold mining in the state. South Carolina
has no known economic deposits of mineral fuels such as coal or natural gas.
 Resource Recovery
 Natural resources used for the first time are considered virgin resources and their
extraction, processing and use require a great deal of energy and can create pollution.
 Resource recovery is a practice that conserves natural resources by extracting
material (e.g., paper, glass, aluminum and steel) from the waste stream and recycling
it into other materials or using it to produce energy. More and more companies are
developing new and innovative technologies that use recycled materials in the
manufacturing of products. Many steel mills, for example, use a manufacturing
process that uses virtually 100 percent recovered steel as the raw material.
 Here’s another example. A company can create plastic from oil, a virgin natural
resource, or it can use recovered plastic from recycling programs. If a company uses
recovered plastic, it is recycling material that would otherwise become waste, helping
prevent the depletion of natural resources, conserving energy and preventing
pollution that would have been created in the extraction and processing of oil from
the ground.
 Resource Recovery In Action
 Recycling or reuse of 2,000 pounds of paper saves 7,000 gallons of water and 380
gallons of oil.
 Using recovered aluminum cans saves 95 percent of the energy required to make the
same amount of aluminum from bauxite ore – its virgin source.
 Recovered steel is the industry’s single largest source of raw materials. In 2005, more
than 75 percent of the steel produced in the United States was made from recovered
steel.
 For every ton of recovered glass (cullet) used to make new glass, more than 2,000
pounds of raw materials are saved – including 1,300 pounds of sand, 410 pounds of
soda ash, 380 pounds of limestone and 160 pounds of feldspar. Using recovered glass
also saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
 How Can We Help ?
 There are many ways each of us can conserve natural resources. Reducing our
consumption – that is reducing what we buy, buying products with less packaging,
reusing what we can, composting and recycling – is one of the easiest ways.
 By sustainability, recycling also saves energy and natural resources. We can save
natural resources by using materials more than once. Recycling saves trees and
water in the case of paper. Growing up to 17 trees saves up to one ton of paper
from recycled stock and uses 50 percent less energy.
 It is highly important that we conserve these natural resources since they are
getting exhausted at an alarming rate. Apart from that, it has an adverse effect on
the environment that is indirectly causing harm to living beings. However, if we
follow some tips in our day to day lives, we can conserve these natural resources.
 Use an alternative source of power like solar and wind energy
 Plant more trees for preventing the soil erosion
 Use pipelines for transporting oil
 Treat the industrial sewage and wastage even before they get released into the
water bodies
 Include the rainwater harvesting system in the house
 Use biogas in the house
 Use biofuels instead of the conventional petroleum-based fuels
 Ensure that the wastes are being recycled
 Use electronic mails
 Make use of the energy-saving tube lights and bulbs
 Practice the method of crop rotation
 Construct reservoirs
 Recycle your rubbish and participate in or help organize recycling campaigns.
 Avoid littering and participate in or help organize litter clean-ups.
 Use less plastic by, for example, carrying a reusable water bottle, saying no to
disposable straws and cutlery, avoiding plastic toys, and bringing your own
shopping bags.
 Swap toys, movies, and books instead of buying new ones.
 Donate, recycle, and repair electronic devices.
 Use less water when brushing teeth, taking a shower, or washing the dishes.
 Use less electricity by turning off lights and electronic devices when not in use,
using energy-saving light bulbs, and hanging clothes to dry.
 Use public transport, share a journey with friends (e.g., car-sharing), cycle, or
walk when possible.
 Use less paper by not printing unnecessary things and reading e-books.
 Turn down the air conditioning when it is hot and use fans if you are still hot-
they use much less power.
 Turn down the heat when it is cold and use sweaters, blankets, and socks to
keep warm.
 Do not waste food and try to buy food that is grown locally and in season.
 Eat more non-meat proteins (like beans), less dairy, more vegetables, and more
organic food when possible.
 Buy products that do not cause damage to the environment and that have
certified labels (such as Rainforest Alliance and Animal Welfare).
 Refuse to buy what you do not need, because every item you do not buy reduces
the demand for the production of that item. For example, if everyone stopped
buying plastic bags, super markets would stop selling them.
 Conserving nature means to protect, preserve and restore biodiversity. Here are
some ways that you can do this:
 Try to prevent your pets from killing/harming wildlife
 Do not touch or take home wild animals or plants .
 Plant native wildflowers, fruit trees, and pollinator-friendly plants in your garden
or yard
 Make compost to improve soil quality and to help insects.
 Build and place bat houses, bird houses, and “bee hotels” in your garden, school
grounds, and local green spaces.
 Do not buy/keep wild pets at home (such as parrots, song birds, wild cats, or
reptiles), in order to avoid supporting illegal trafficking of animals.
 Be aware of wild animals crossing the road and respect their paths.
Connect with nature: Connecting with nature means setting aside time to interact
with the natural environment. Here are some ways that you can do this:
 Play outside and spend more time in nature.
 Organize trips to explore the national parks/nature reserves close to you.
 Join conservation programs or eco-clubs.
 Participate in nature-focused citizen science initiatives .
 Use books or apps to identify the plants and animals around you .
 Play games to learn more about nature.
 Use websites, blogs or social media to help raise awareness on the importance of
conserving nature and share all these ideas.
 CONCLUSION
 Understanding the importance of nature and biodiversity for our own well-being
can really help us to help nature. In this article, we have provided some practical
ideas that we can all try to reduce our ecological footprint, conserve nature, and
connect with nature. We encourage you to put these ideas into practice and
share these actions with your family and friends.
 Glossary
 Nature: The term that encompasses living organisms and the forces responsible for the
physical world, such as the weather, mountains, oceans, and landscapes.
 Biodiversity: The word biodiversity means the variety of all living organisms on Earth,
and includes different levels of organization—from genes, species, and communities
through to entire ecosystems.
 Ecosystem Services: The many benefits that people get from natural ecosystems.
These services can be broken down into provisioning (e.g., food and wood), supporting
(e.g., soil formation and nutrient cycling), regulating (e.g., clean air and water
purification), and cultural (e.g., recreation and eco-tourism).
 Climate Change: Change in global or regional climate patterns, most due to increased
levels of greenhouse gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels. Greenhouse gases,
like carbon dioxide, act like a blanket, trapping heat near the Earth's surface, and
raising the temperature.
 Ecological Footprint: This is a measure of how much people take from nature, which is
then compared to what natural resources are available to provide for people.